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Well, Mogul Kamir uses a mechanical horse, so if you wanted, you could claim they all used mechanical horses, and Mogul's was just a really good one. I personally don't see too much point in rough riders. I think that hunting lances need to be less of a one-use thing, and they all need furious charge, +1 toughness and an extra attack.

Pragmatism aside I gotta say I do like the idea of a unit of calvary charging across the battlefield at something horrible like a carnifex with only spears and bad intentions.

Yeah the hunting lance is a one trick pony (sorry could resist) but what a trick 21 S5 I5 ower weapon attacks isn't bad plus they still have their uses once the lances are broken. They come as standard with krak grenades and for 5pts a melta bomb, now with an effective assault range of 18"-24" they make a reasonable anti tank unit.

Mogul Kamir gives them furious charge but he also gives them rage which is the one reason I don't use him, because then you really are throwing away those lances and then probably dying in some combat they ain't going to win.

An extra attack would be nice, but ah well. Furious charge would also be nice, but offiically Furious Charge does NOT stack with hunting lances. It only stacks with weapons that modify the base strength of a model, not weapons that attack at their own strength. So, Mogul Kamir is even MORE useless now.....in fact, he actually makes Rough Riders WORSE.

And yeah, they are a one trick unit, but that one trick they can pull cna be DEVASTATING 21 S5, I5 power weapon attacks? Say good bye to a nasty terminator unit, and say goodbye to a MC. All this for what? 105 points? I personally think that Rough Riders are pretty cheap, and the balance is that you really really need to guide them well.

I would love to see people use dinos, or heck even wolves for all i care. It would be cooler than a horse. But in all seriousness, i don't see why a horse is "useless" i'm sure it can take a bullet, or a las-round or whatever and still keep going

Horses have been replaced by vehicles partly because they are more vulnerable to weapon fire but also because once you start that change, it makes sense to carry it out to the full and avoid two sets of logistical requirements.

Horses require vets, shoes, tack, and fodder, even when they are not being used. Their main advantage over vehicles is that they can reproduce themselves, however this isn't a battlefield capability.

Within the context of the game, though, Rough Riders are fun, and, if you dislike using horses or other riding beasts, you can use something like motorcycles or monowheels.

Chapter Approved did have an article or two concerning different types of mounts for Rough Riders; from dinos and lizards, to furry thingies with big teath and swamp creatures. They were part of the creature feature thing and an article on playing games in swamps, but this was all back in the days when the guard had proper doctrines.

Kilkrazy wrote:Within the context of the game, though, Rough Riders are fun, and, if you dislike using horses or other riding beasts, you can use something like motorcycles or monowheels.

Or segways.^^

Gene Wolfe has a great chapter on cavalry here-

http://books.google.com/books?id=N-IemS8Uqn0C&pg=PA257&dq=cavalry+in+the+age+of+the+autarch&hl=en&ei=XFg8TdLpL4SWsgP_gqGBAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=cavalry%20in%20the%20age%20of%20the%20autarch&f=false